Mac sales show that the PC is far from dead

For the first time since 2011, Apple has made more money from selling desktops and notebooks than iPads. So does this mean the PC is making a comeback?

Ever since Steve Jobs walked onto the stage of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on January 27, 2010 and introduced the first iPad to the world, analysts have been talking about the death of the PC.

And while the tablet's popularity exploded at a rate never before experienced in the history of consumer electronics - Gartner claims 229 million were sold in 2014 alone -- sales are not only cooling, it looks as if the computer might actually be making a comeback.

In amongst the numbers regarding huge iPhone sales and information about being swamped with demand for its first smartwatch, Apple's latest quarterly earning figures, published on Monday, show that its computer sales are also up -- considerably.

Apple sold 4.6 million Macs over the last three months -- a 10% year-on-year increase -- and those figures only run to the end of March, meaning that they don't include sales of its latest notebooks, which didn't go on sale until April 10.

The company sold 12.3 million iPads over the same period but, for the first time since 2011, Apple has made more in revenues from its PCs than from its tablets.

Unfortunately, Apple doesn't differentiate between notebook and desktop sales when presenting its figures, but the signs suggest its portable PCs are seeing a boost in popularity.

According to Digitimes' Asian supply chain sources, notebook shipments are expected to grow 11% over the next quarter and this upturn is being driven by demand for MacBooks and Google's Chromebooks.

The publication's own research, published ahead of Apple's figures, correctly forecast higher Mac sales and even Gartner, whose latest report into the state of the PC industry -- published on April 9 -- is positive about notebooks, convertibles and hybrid computers, despite painting a grim picture for the immediate future of the desktop.

"PC replacements will be driven by thin and light notebooks with tablet functionality. Our early study suggests strong growth of hybrid notebooks, especially in mature markets, in 1Q15," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.

As well as the re-emergence of the notebook, 2015 could still also be the year that the tablet gets a new lease on life. It's no secret that Apple is developing a larger, productivity-focused tablet -- that the press has dubbed the iPad Pro -- which is expected to boast a 12-inch display and offer computing power on a par with an ultrabook PC. However, when the company chooses to release it is anyone's guess.